Senator Bob Bennett wasn't the only one who lost this weekend. Mitt Romney lost too.
Romney was the guy who gave Bennett's nominating speech over the weekend in Utah. Umm, I guess that didn't go so well did it?
The only political upside for Romney in giving that speech is that he looks principled in the sense that he was determined not to look like he was ditching his good friend Bennett for the sake of politics. Good for him if that is true. But let's get over the mushy gushy stuff.
The harsh reality is that Romney has now given his GOP primary opponents fresh ammunition to use against him in 2011. Having Romney on record defending Bennett in this Tea Party political climate has NO upside. Furthermore, Romney feels very much like the establishment guy here. Romney's business straight laced style and the raucous Tea party crowd don’t really seem like the right fit. Plus, I mean think about it. How do you think his healthcare plan in Massachusetts is going to play with the tea partiers? Take a wild guess. And now defending Bob Bennett? Can someone say Oy-Gevalt?
Look, here's the deal. People like Jim DeMint and Sarah Palin are the hot ticket now. Romney may be the best candidate out there in terms of resume, money and organizational structure but in this political climate he may not have the one element that is crucial: "Tea Party Street Cred"